Boat drive and control



J. FL-ISEK.

' BOAT omvs AND comnoL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1920.

1,360, 105, Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

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i Ii 10' 20 INVENTOR EEEEBEZuI; 36 John Kink as-ii BY ATTORNEY UNITED STA S PATENT OFFICE.

101m rLrsEK, or STEUBENVILLE, onro.

BOAT DRIVE AND CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent. 9 Patented N 23 192() Application filed. September 16, 1920. Serial No. 410,666.

adapted for manual propulsion.

The invention has for an. object to provide a novel arrangement of steering and propelling mechanism adapted to permit of the boat being either steered or propelled as desired by a single manually operable element,

F or further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Figure l of the drawings is a plan view of a boat having the invention. applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the median line of the boat.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on the same line as i Fig. 2.

The hull of the boat is indicated at 10 and may be of any approved construction, the usual rudder being shown at 11. The boat is adapted to be propelled by a screw ropeller 12 of ordinary type which is lixe on the rear end of a shaft 13 extending longitudinally through the boat just above the keel thereof, and supported in suitable bearings, this propeller being adapted for manual operation.

To this end the forward end of shaft 13 has fixed thereon a bevel gear 14 which meshes with a like gear 15 on the lower end of a shaft 16 extending vertically in the boat near the bow thereof, this shaft being supported by suitable bearings such as 17. The upper end of this shaft 16 has fixed thereon a second bevel gear 18 which meshes with a like gear 19 on a short horizontal shaft 20 which extends longitudinally of the boat and may be supported by suitable bearings such as 21.

Upon this shaft 20, is loosely mounted a toothed crank wheel 23 which is adapted to have longitudinal movement therealong to bring it into or out of driving relation with the shaft," this crank wheel having a handle 24 thereon for turning purposes. To effect the above mentioned operative engagement or disengagement of the crank wheel with the shaft 20 the latter is provided with a comparatively short spirally disposed groove 25 which communicates at its rear end with a circumferential groove 26, a screw 27 on the hub of the wheel projecting into either of these grooves according to the location ofthe wheel on the shaft.

When the wheel 23 is pulled backward on the shaft 20 until the screw 27 engages in the circumferential groove 26 the wheel may rotate independently of the shaft, but when the wheel is pushed forward on the shaft 20, moving the screw 27 into the spiral groove 25, rotation of the wheel 23 by the handle 24 in the proper direction will cause the shaft 20 to rotate and the propeller 12 to be driven by the connecting mechanism above described. If rotation of wheel 23 is stopped the continued rotation of shaft 20, due to the momentum of the boat will throw the wheel backward, the screw 27 moving through the spiral groove 25 until it reaches the circumferential groove 26.

I preferably arrange the control mechanism of the rudder in such a manner that this backward movement of the wheel 23 will bring it into operative relation there with. This control mechanism comprises a rope 30 connected at opposite ends to arms on the rudder post and led forward around suitable guide pulleys 31, being also led around and fastened to a pair of steering pulleys 32 fixed on vertical shafts 33 arranged adjacent opposite sides of the boat and supported by suitable bearing brackets 34, these pulleys having handles 35 fixed thereon.

The means by which the wheel 23 is connected with the steering mechanism comprises a pulley 36 on each of the vertical shafts connected by belts 37 with a double grooved pulley 38 fixed co-axially to a gear 39, this gear and pulley being mounted on a suitably supported stub shaft 40 located below the shaft, the gear being positioned to be engaged by the gear teeth on the crank wheel 23 when the latter is moved rearwardly to the position free to rotate on the shaft, the teeth on the crank wheel disengaging from the gear 39 when the former is moved forward to driving relation with the shaft 20.

It is believed the manner of operation of my improved steering and driving mecha- IllSIIlfWill be apparent from the above description. lVhen the wheel 23 is moved forward it engages the shaft 20 but is disengaged from the steering mechanism but when it ismoved backward it engages the steering mechanism, thus providing for the more easy control of the boat during times.

such as when a landing is being effected, requiring special attention to the handling of the boat. The boat may be provided with suitable seats 42.

Having thus described my invention what I claim new and desire to protect by 7 Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

a shaft, a manually rotatable wheel. loose on said shaft, said shaft having a circumferential groove and a communicating spiral groove formed therein, and a part carried by said wheel adapted to be engaged in either of said grooves by moving said wheel along said shaft, and steering means including a gear operatively engaged by said wheel when the said part is engaging in the said circumferential groove.

3. In a boat propelling means including a shaft, a manually rotatable wheel loose on said shaft, said shaft having a cireunr ferential groove and a communicating spiral groove formed therein, and a part carried by said wheel adapted to be engaged in either of said grooves by moving said wheel along said shaft, said steering means includ ing a pair of vertically arranged shafts. a pulley on each of said shafts, a gear adapted to be engaget with or disengaged from said crank wheel as the latter is moved along the first mentioned shaft, :1 pair of pulley elements fixed co-axially to said gear. and belts connecting said pulley elements to said first mentioned pulleys.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

JOHN FLISEK 

